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Andreas Vesalius

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A Belgian-born physician

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Wrote On the Structure of the Human Body

Published in 1543

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This 700-page book, with more than 300 illustrations, established the foundations of the modern science of anatomy.

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It contained Vesalius’ firsthand observations of the structure and operation of the human body.

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The application of the scientific method would not have been possible had not Vesalius dared to dissect human bodies.

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It is important to remember that the scientific method involves direct observation and experimentation.

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Vesalius had to dissect a body to see how the body worked.

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In the mid-1500s, medical knowledge of the workings of the human body was limited mainly to the writings of Galen, a physician who lived during the period of the Roman Empire.

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Galen’s work was not very accurate, because he never studied a corpse.

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Not until the 15th century did European universities permit occasional public dissections of the bodies of executed criminals.

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Vesalius was determined to learn by first-hand investigation and observation. As a 20-year-old medical student in Paris, he took the risk of doing two public dissections before large audiences.

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At age 23, Vesalius became professor of anatomy at the University of Padua in Italy.

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He was appointed as court physician to the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, Charles V, and to Philip II, Charles’s successor as King of Spain.

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At the time of the publication of his book, Vesalius’ views and methods came under attack by the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Angered by the criticism, Vesalius burned his notes.

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For twenty years, he did not perform dissections.

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Eventually, Vesalius resumed his investigations into the workings of the human body.

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However, while returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Vesalius was shipwrecked and died of disease or starvation on a Mediterranean island.

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But Vesalius changed world history.

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Write a letter to Vesalius in which you comment on his reaction to criticism. Advise him as to how and why he might have responded differently.